Parade of Falling Rain
by Shinu
Summary: Zell gets hurt and his leg needs to be amputated. He becomes depressed at first, but as we know, Zell has his own ways. Unfortunately, this time his ways are deadly. SXZ
1. Default Chapter

Summary: Zell gets hurt so bad that his leg needs to be amputated. After that he becomes depressed, trying to learn to live without his leg. Is he beyond help? Seifer/Zell  
  
Note: This is my first fanfic, so be nice.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own FF VII.  
  
Parade of Falling Rain  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Look out!!" Selphie shouted to Quistis who looked behind her. Her eyes widened at what she saw. A ruby Dragon was about to bite her head off. She screamed and covered her head with her hands. She waited for the dragons teeth to sink in her flesh but instead heard a loud BANG. She removed her hands and saw Irvine aim the dragon, which had now become half blind. Quistis let a sigh of relief and quickly nodded Irvine her thanks and returned to battle.  
  
"CURA" Selphie shouted as she cast the spell on Squall who thanked her and attacked another ruby dragon. Rinoa was battling another, Irvine had his own, Quistis had her own and Squall and Zell had their own dragons to take care of. Selphie was the "healer", healing when needed. The whole situation seemed rather desperate. The monsters around the whole world had started to gather to big groups and their numbers seemed to be multiplieing. And the monsters were getting stronger too. And the SeeDs were getting tired. The monsters' magic was rather good too.  
  
"It's hopeless!" Rinoa shouted as she fell on her butt and quickly rolled away from the spot and the dragon's jaws snapped closed just few seconds from that. "We should retreat for now!" She shouted to Squall. It was raining hard and they were all soaked and it was hard to move on the muddy ground.  
  
"I agree, I'm running low with healing magic!" Selphie shouted and cast a cure on Irvine who shot his enemy dead. He lowered his gun.  
  
"Yeah, and I'm getting tired, we have been battling these things for two hours!" He said, trying to catch his breath. It seemed like that too. There was tens of dead dragon carcases on the ground around them. They had walked near their nest so that wasn't a surprise.  
  
"And I'm Hungry!" They heard a shout from a bit distance away. Zell was maybe the most tired of them all, having to battle with only his legs and fists. He was panting heavily and was on the defensive most of the time, trying to catch his breath before landing punch or two. He was now taking a small break, having his other knee on the ground. Squall could see that Zell was near collapsing.  
  
"Let's finish these off. Zell, you ok?" Squall shouted.  
  
"Yeah, I'm ok.!" Zell said with a grin and with quick jump to the side as his dragon tried to smash him with it's tail. Irvine went to help Quistis. Selphie decided to get on the offence and went to help Rinoa. Soon, Quistis' and Irvine's dragon was on the ground. Then they heard a ear piercing scream of pure agony. They all turned to look at where it came from. One of the ruby dragons, the one that Irvine had fought earlier had somehow survived. And as Zell had dodged another hit from the rudy he had fought and came nearer the almost dead, it had rised it's head and closed it's jaw around Zell's leg. Irvine reacted quickly and shot it dead and it let go with a final scream. Quistis ran to the still alive one that was now towering over Zell who was bleeding badly. Selphie and Rinoa killed their ruby in matter of seconds and ran towards Zell.  
  
"Oh my god.. Zell!" Selphie said and looked at the leg and almost vomited. They could see the bone! Rinoa was shaking badly and Zell's expresion was one of immense pain. There were tears of pain streaming down his face as he lay in the mud, bleeding like there was no tomorrow. Soon Squall was with them.  
  
"C-Cast a curaga...!!" Rinoa said.  
  
"I ran out of curagas a fine while ago!" Selphie said, crying herself.  
  
"It wouldn't help on injury that big. Go! Get Ragnarok ready! We leave now!" Squall said and skooped Zell on his arms and started running towards their airship. Zell was muttering curses all the way. With final BANG, Quistis an Irvine were ready to go too. In ragnarok Selphie quickly ran to the control room and started the engines and they were off towards Balamb garden. Zell was at the entrance with all the others.  
  
"Give me something that I can tie the wound with!!" Quistis shouted. Irvine ren quickly off and was back in a minute with bandaging materials. He went at Zell's side and took his hand in his. And regretted it. Zell was sqeezing the life outta him! "Rise his leg up!" Squall hed Zell's leg up and Rinoa was wiping off the tears and sweat on Zell's face and said soothing things to him. Quistis finished bandaging the leg and was scared when she noticed how quickly the blood was coming through it.  
  
"It's okay Zell! You'll make it!" Rinoa said and wiped her own tears away. Quistis was visibly shaking, Squall was as pale as anyone can come and Irvine was near tears. It was silent if you didn't count the curses Zell muttered through gritted teeth and the soothing words Rinoa whispered to him. Finally they felt that they landed and the exit opened and Squall took Zell in his arms and ran towards the garden entrance. The others followed. Everyone in the hallways stared at them as they ran by, leaving droplets of blood after.  
  
"DR. KADOWAKI!!" Selphie shouted when they burst in.  
  
"There he is!" Dr. Kadowaki said as she quided them to one of the rooms. "the other doctors will be here any minute." She said.  
  
"Other doctors?" Quistis questioned.  
  
"Selphie called me and I called to balamb hospital. " She said and removed the bandages. She gasped at the sight and the others looked away. Zell let out a gasp of pain which brought her attention to him. "What on earth are doing conscious?" She muttered. "Zell, I'm afraid that you leg needs amputation." She said and the others looked at her in shock.  
  
"...but gasp then I.. can't.... hiccup...walk..." Zell managed to say.  
  
"Yes you can. It would be amputationed just below your knee." She said and gave him sedative. "It's your only chance of living." She explained and Zell nodded. Then the other medics burst in. "Now, you others leave!" She said and they started their job as the others left. All the girls crying, Irvine shaking and Squall as pale as a ghost. It was late and they decided it was time to go to sleep. Theyt would find out about Zell next morning and they needed the rest.  
  
So, what do you think? Was it good? Bad? Great? Horrible? R&R. 


	2. waking up

**Parade of Falling Rain** Chapter 2 

Seifer was in the library, reading for the exams he needed to become a SeeD. And he hated it. Right now, he pretty much hated everything. The girl next to him and the chewing gum she was chewing. The group of boys and girl on the left side of him, gossiping excitedly. He hated what he was reading about. Magic, that was like, one of the basic things to know! It was stupid to read something he already knew, but when his instructor recommented it, well, he was going to make sure that he would pass the tests this year! With a sigh he leaned back on his chair, rubbing his eyes. Why all the books had to have text that damn small?

"Did yu guys hear about Dincht?" A girl with red short hair asked her friends with a voice that was barely louder than a whisper. Seifer stopped his eye rubbing and tried to listen the best he could.

"I heard he was taken to the infirmary last night." Another girl with blond shoulder length hair said.

"And I heard he almost cried his eyes out!" A boy with brown hair laughed. Seifer had his eyebrows rised at the thing. Why hadn't he heard? Then he saw Rinoa emerge from behind the nearest bookself. She seemed to be ready to blow. Her hands were curled to fists and her eyes were on fire. And she was nearing the gossip table.

"That's pathetic! A SeeD crying over little wound!" The boy continued. Rinoa was now behind him.

"What do YOU know!?" Rinoa shouted and startled the boy. "Nothing! You know nothing you pathetic little bastard! You weren't there! You didn't see it!" She screamed and all the library went silent and stared at her. She started to laugh a silent little hollow laugh, trembling madly. "Little wound, eh? I let you in a little secret!" She said. "That **_little wound_** almost killed him!" She said and leaned closer. "I saw it all. You want me to tell you? There was blood! And all you could see under the blood has his leg bone!!" She screamed and the boy seemed ready to start crying right then. She straightened her back and glared at him. "If you don't believe it, go and see if the blood on the hallway is already cleaned, if it is, go to Ragnarok. There should still be a little pool of blood." She said. When the boy didn't say a thing or move she narrowed her eyes. "Leave." With that the gossip group ran out of the room. Rinoa sighed and sat down burying her face in her hands. Seifer stood up and sat infront of her.

"How are you doing?" Seifer asked silently. He had changed bit after the war. Some even forgave him. Rinoa sobbed.

"I'm a bit tired. And scared." She said and removed her hands from her face. She had forgiven Seifer and was friends with him. They were a pair in the class, helping each other if needed. Seifer took her hands in his. "We haven't heard anything about him since last night." She said.

"Did he need a surgery?" Seifer asked. Rinoa shook her head a little.

"It's not that simple... Oh my God... He was conscious when we arrived... I can't believe him..." She sniffed. "Dr. Kadowaki and the other doctors from Balamb..." She started and rised her head to look at Seifer. "Oh Seifer...! His leg was amputated!" She said and started crying freely against Seifer's chest. Seifer was shocked. To Zell, his legs and hands were his life! His weapons! His only defence. How was he going to survive that?

"How did he take it?" Seifer asked.

"H-He... I think that he didn't want that but then Dr.Kadowaki told him that it was his only chance of living and... He just nodded!" She said and wiped her tears away. "I'm so afraid that he won't wake up..." She muttered.

"What do you mean?" Seifer asked.

"We went to look at him this morning but Dr. Kadowaki said that it was better to let him sleep in peace. Then she told that it was possible that Zell wouldn't wake up! He had lost so much blood..." She explained. Seifer smiled at her softly.

"Don't worry about it. He will wake up. He's a fighter! And his purpose of living is to annoy me, and he has lost too many times to give up." He said and Rinoa laughed.

"Thank you Seifer. I feel better already... you wanna have lunch with me and the others? It's been a while since you were with us. What have you been doing?" She asked and sat back on her chair. Seifer smiled.

"I've been reading for the exams. I am going to pass that stupid test this year!" He said and she smiled, a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Wow. That's so unlike you!" She said. "I hope that you, me and Irvine will be a squad." She said. "So, what about that lunch?" She asked.

"I don't know..." Seifer asked. He didn't really know what to say if there was a bunch of depressed people. Not to even mentionthat they were his old enemies and he had tried to kill them more than once.

"We need someone to lighten the mood!" Rinoa said and stood up and grapped his wrist and soon they were on their way towards cafeteria.

Zell lay awake on the bed. He had gone through everything again in his mind and was afraid to look at his leg. The sheets on his bed were still bloody and it disgusted him. It felt like his world had fallen in shambles in just a minute. He had been ready to die when Dr. Kadowaki told him that his leg needed amputation but agreed when he thought about his Ma. If he died, she would most likely become depressed and depressed people could make horrible things. With a sigh, he tugged his blanket so that his right leg came into view. His new leg was silver coloured, shaped to look like his other, with the muskels and all. He glared at it. It had been only two months since the Ultimecia war. He had survived from a sorceress' attack in another time and then, he loses his leg to a ruby dragon! And a half-dead at that. He felt angry, embarassed, sad and lonely, somehow different than others. The door to his infimary room opened and Dr. Kadowaki came in.

"So you are finally awake." It was more of a statement than a question. She checked some basic things and took then a pen and started hitting his right knee. "Can you feel this?" She asked and hit again. Zell nodded and she wrote something up and sat into a chair next to him. "So, any questions?" She asked. Zell was quiet for a while.

"What now?" He asked. Dr. Kadowaki smiled warmly at him.

"Well, I can say that you are not allowed to fight for two weeks. You have to get used to your new leg, and then very slowly, you can start training again. But not alone, you need some with you when you go to Balamb or in the training centre." She explained him.

"So, I still will be able to do everything that I could do with my real leg?" Zell asked, not trying to hide the hope from his voice. Dr. Kadowaki seemed to get older as her look turned from assuring to apologetical. Zell had bad feeling about it.

"Not maybe everything. It is possible that you won't be able to move as fast as you have." She said and Zell's eyes widened. It was important to be fast when you figt with only you legs and fists. You _had to be quick to survive!_ If he couldn't dodge enough fast it was likely that he would have many amputated limbs in the future. Zell looked down. "Is there anything you would want?" Dr. Kadowaki asked. "I will call your mother soon and the headmaster too. It is important for then to know." No response. "Your friends came earlier, they were very worried." Still no response. "Well, maybe you should rest for now. I'll call your mother and the headmaster." Not even a nod. Dr. Kadowaki sighed and left the room, shutting the door after her. Zell looked out from the window. It was still raining. And he wished he would be out there so the rain would wash all the pain and the hurt away. So it would wash him away. The only light was from a little lamp above his head. He looked at his leg again and narrowed his eyes.

"I hate you." He whispered before swiching the light off and closing his eyes.

Okay.... That was the second chapter... it's still a bit short... But I got some new ideas about what would happen but I really have no good idea how Seifer and Zell would get together. I mean what would be final "blow" to make them fall in love... So, I'd love some ideas...

I'd like to thank Gege-kat who wished that I'd continue with the story!

By the way, I don't own Final Fantasy VIII.

Review!!!


	3. the Visiting Hour

Parade of Falling Rain Chapter 3 

The next morning seemed to come too quickly for Zell. Normally, he would be excited, and jump from the bed immediately when his alarm clock rang.

But not today.

There was no alarm clock or rays of sun waking him, he wasn't able to jump from the bed and when he turned his head to look at the wall on his right side, he didn't see pictures of his family but a table full of flowers and get well cards. And when he removed the sheets, he didn't see two legs of flesh and bone. Just one. A new metallic silver leg, already in place. He sighed in defeat, knowing how foolish he had been when he had hoped that it wouldn't be there, hoping to see two healthy legs.

"Guess I'll be stuck with you then, eh?" He said and glared at his silver leg, as if he was waiting for an answer. When the leg didn't answer him, he narrowed his eyes and looked out through the window, seeing -not surprisingly- that it was still raining.

"Damn that rain, makes me depressed." But he was aware of the fact that even if the rain would stop, it wouldn't make him his cheery old self. He looked around, trying to find a clock, or anything else that could show him whether it was day or night. There was nothing except some light filtering through from underneath the doorframe, so he decided that it must be daytime.

He also noted that someone –probably Dr. Kadowaki- had brought a pair of crutches into his room whilst he had been asleep, they were leaning up against the wall, clinical and plain looking.

Zell glared at them, like he was gonna use those.

He was roused from his thoughts when the door to his room was opened, and Dr. Kadowaki walked in. When she saw him awake she smiled brightly.

Zell did not return the smile.

"There's someone who wants to see you!" she said and took a step aside letting a rather old and yet healthy looking woman in.

"Ma!"

"Zell!!" Zell's mother strode over to Zell's bedside, and wraped her arms around her son, who hugged her in return, both of them hugging with all their power, both afraid that if they let go the other will be lost forever. Dr. Kadowaki watched them with a sad smile before she left the room, closing the door behind her.

"I was so afraid that I'd lose you!!" Ma Dincht sobbed against her only son's shoulder. Zell simply tightened his grip around his mother, wordlessy assuring her that he wasn't going anywhere. Then Mrs. Dincht let go of her son and looked at him straight in the eye, taking his hands in hers. "Promise that you will be okay." He said, her voice firm and determined, demanding him to promise.

Zell looked at his mother. Her brown eyes were watery and her round face was stained with tears. The look she was giving him was filled with a love that he knew was for him, and for him only.

He smiled to his mother.

"I promise."

"So it doesn't hurt?" Ma Dincht asked her son who shook his head with a slight smile on his face.

"Not at all." He said and his mother nodded, smiling brightly to her son. They had been talking for an hour or so, telling random things that had happened and now they were in the subject of Zell's leg.

"So, what happens now?" She asked, throwing a glance at his silvery leg.

"Dr. Kadowaki said that I have to get used to the leg for now, then I can start training…" Zell explained and sighed.

"So soon?"

"Well…I have to stay still for two weeks-" Zell replied, the rest of his sentence cut off by the ward's door swinging open.

"You can't even stay still for two hours, but two weeks? Impossible." Zell glared at the new comer who was….

"Seifer!? The hell are you doing here?!" He yelled and Seifer simply smirked in reply.

"Mr. Dincht, watch your mouth!" It was Quistis who then walked in with all the others. Selphie immediately ran over to Zell and hugged him sobbing all the way. Zell hugged her back but never stopped glaring Seifer.

"I'll show you! You overgrown slime ball!" Zell shouted to Seifer who's smirk widened ever so slightly.

"Whatever chicken, (Zell growling in the background) I'll have to be going now so see you around." Seifer said and turned out of the room, leaving a few confused teens, an angry Zell and an amused mother.

"Maybe I should get going now, this rooms getting a little crowded and the whole town back home is worried sick about you!" Ma Dincht said decisively and stood, she brushed down her skirt and turned to give Zell a peck on the cheek. Zell gave his mother a slight smile.

"Tell them I said hi!" He said as his mother left the room with a promise to come back soon. The room was silent for a while.

"So, how are you?" Rinoa asked gently, as she perched herself on the end of the bed. Zell looked up at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm OK." He said thoughtfully and then was startled by Selphie, who started crying again and hugged him tight.

"I was so worried that you would die!! There was so much blood !! I have never been so afraid!!!" She cried against his shoulder and he rubbed her back a bit to calm her down.

"I'm okay Selphie! You don't have to worry about me! I'm not gonna die in years!" He managed a grin. "See? I'm healthy as anything!" He said and Selphie looked him in the eyes. She smiled soon and wiped her tears away but didn't move away from her position, which was almost on his lap. Zell was okay with this, he was used to the girls being on his lap or just comforting them. All the girls were like sisters to him really.

"You really gave us a scare back then." Irvine said and leaned against the wall. "It's good to see you're alright." He admitted and Zell grinned.

"Thanks."

"I hope you realize that you soaked ragnarok with your blood." Squall said while looking at Zell. Zell let a nervous laugh. "But I'm still glad that you're okay." Squall smiled warmly.

"Thanks a ton Squall." Zell said, feeling quite happy that his friends were with him even though he had been so pathetic and embarassing when he got his leg bitten off. "And I guess I'm sorry too." He added and Squall nodded. They chatted for a moment, the others telling Zell about everything that had happened while he was stuck in the infirmary. He was surprised to hear that Rinoa had actually punched a few guys because they were saying nasty things about him. But everyhing has to stop sometime. The visiting hour was over and it was time for Zell's medication and rest. So they said their goodbyes and Zell was put to sleep with the one thought that had been bothering him all day.

'Why was Seifer here? And why did he leave so soon?'

There it was. Sorry for the long wait. I know it isn't so good since nothing really happens in it, but it's more of a filler… You know, so I can make good chapter 4, that is, if you still wanna read the fic. Please tell me if you want me to continue.

Thanks to all who reviewed!!!!! Special thanks to Silver Salamander for BETA-reading!

I hope all of you who read this fic had a good Christmas and have even better new year!!

So, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!


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